1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for aiding a printed circuit board (PCB) to be inserted into, extracted from, and retained in an associated PCB channel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices which can be mounted on a printed circuit board or card in order to assist in the insertion and removal of the board from an associated receptacle of an electronic equipment are known in the art.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,073 issued on Dec. 4, 1990 to Weisman discloses an insertion and extraction aid comprising a lever pivotally mountable to a printed circuit card for pivotal movement with respect thereto is adapted to engage a channel of a piece of electronic equipment selectively between a locked position and an extraction position. A latch is pivotally mounted on the lever and extends rearwardly therefrom for engagement with a catch extending laterally outwardly from one side of the printed circuit card. The latch is manually operated for locking and releasing the lever by pressing a leaf spring provided at one end of the latch against a back surface of the lever, thereby allowing the lever to be disengaged from the channel and the card to then be released therefrom. In some instances, depending on the proximity of the equipment components next to the lever, it might be difficult to have access to the back surface of the lever in order to operate the latch.
Furthermore, it has been found that there is a need for a new latching device which would confirm that the printed circuit board has been fully inserted into its associated receptacle.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a printed circuit board insertion and extraction aid which offers ease of operation.
It is also an aim of the present invention to provide such an aid which can be operated from a front side thereof.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide such an aid which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide such an extraction and insertion aid that provides a feedback to the user to insure proper insertion of the PCB into an associated PCB holder.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an insertion/extraction aid for use with a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising a lever adapted to be pivotally mounted to a PCB for movement relative thereto between an insertion position and an extraction position. The lever has opposed front and back sides. The back side generally faces the PCB. A latch is mounted to the lever and has a catch engaging portion extending beyond the back side of the lever for releasably latching the same in the insertion position. An actuator is provided for displacing the catch engaging portion between latched and released positions relative to the lever. The actuator is located on the front side of the lever for allowing the latch to be operated from the front side of the lever.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an insertion/extraction aid in combination with a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly comprises a faceplate adapted to be secured to a PCB and defining a catch, said aid comprising a lever adapted to be pivotally mounted to one of said PCB and said faceplate for movement relative thereto between an insertion position and an extraction position, a latch mounted to said lever for engagement with said catch of said faceplate in order to releasably latch the lever in the insertion position thereof, said latch being displaceable relative to said lever between a latched position and a released position wherein said latch disengages from said catch.
In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided an insertion/extraction aid for use with a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising a lever adapted to be pivotally mounted to a PCB for movement relative thereto between an insertion position and an extraction position, a catch adapted to be mounted to the PCB, a latch mounted to the lever for engagement with the catch in order to releasably latch the lever in the insertion position thereof, the latch being displaceable relative to the lever between a latched position and a released position wherein the latch disengages from the catch, and a switch for detecting a state of the latch relative to the catch.